To any Crafty Bastards
Yes, I affectionately call myself and others who share my love of all things crafty a crafty bastard. It's affectionate, really.
So, this week I have been obsessed with a new craft and this is where it started...
I was visiting the Walker Art Center with my family last weekend, we started the visit at the gift shop, you know the kind, half of the stuff made in Denmark or Sweden from that minimalist-sheik school of design. I saw a bowl with little envelopes in it with different colored circles and what appeared to be string attaching them. I asked a woman working there what they were because so far they looked like connected coasters selling for 15 dollars. She said she had been meaning to put some up and did just that. What was then hanging before me was endlessly charming and cost at least 150 dollars since she had well over 10 strands hung. They were small circles of felt spaced a bit less then a foot apart with two contrasting shades of one color on a line strung together by what I swear was fishing line. Since making 150 dollars costs me a bit of my soul working as a waitress in a bar I decided I could do it myself for much cheaper, and I did, and they are fabulous. I've now got 6 strand over my bed, and everyone that has seen them has said they want to do the same...so here's how.
1. Go to walmart's craft section and pick up supplies.
*I went overboard, I got about 8 different colors of felt and 4 pieces of each color which is more circles then I ever want to cut out, but hey are 17 cents each so I thought, what the hell. You also need one of those white pencils that writes on fabric, a big needle with an eye big enough to put fishing line through, and some fishing line.
2. Get a circle you feel is a good size and trace it onto the felt using aforementioned pencil. I trace 8 on a sheet...I'm not sure of the size of my circle, but it's not too big.
3. Cut out all your circles. I do the two colors I am going to string together at the same time, and none of the others since I am a fool for instant gratification and can't be bothered to cut out all colors at once.
4. Cut off one big long piece of fishing line (I use the arms out method, one and a half of my arm's spread) and tie a loop at one end. Start attaching circles about 10'' from the end, poking a hole very near the edge of the circle bringing it to where you want it and making 2 knots to keep it in place.
5. Move down 10" grab the next color of felt, and repeat, then back to the first color...etc...until you've got 8 pieces on the line.
And that's it! Not too hard, feel free to change the procedure to whatever, I made it up, so why shouldn't you? And really, they are fun! Enjoy.
So, this week I have been obsessed with a new craft and this is where it started...
I was visiting the Walker Art Center with my family last weekend, we started the visit at the gift shop, you know the kind, half of the stuff made in Denmark or Sweden from that minimalist-sheik school of design. I saw a bowl with little envelopes in it with different colored circles and what appeared to be string attaching them. I asked a woman working there what they were because so far they looked like connected coasters selling for 15 dollars. She said she had been meaning to put some up and did just that. What was then hanging before me was endlessly charming and cost at least 150 dollars since she had well over 10 strands hung. They were small circles of felt spaced a bit less then a foot apart with two contrasting shades of one color on a line strung together by what I swear was fishing line. Since making 150 dollars costs me a bit of my soul working as a waitress in a bar I decided I could do it myself for much cheaper, and I did, and they are fabulous. I've now got 6 strand over my bed, and everyone that has seen them has said they want to do the same...so here's how.
1. Go to walmart's craft section and pick up supplies.
*I went overboard, I got about 8 different colors of felt and 4 pieces of each color which is more circles then I ever want to cut out, but hey are 17 cents each so I thought, what the hell. You also need one of those white pencils that writes on fabric, a big needle with an eye big enough to put fishing line through, and some fishing line.
2. Get a circle you feel is a good size and trace it onto the felt using aforementioned pencil. I trace 8 on a sheet...I'm not sure of the size of my circle, but it's not too big.
3. Cut out all your circles. I do the two colors I am going to string together at the same time, and none of the others since I am a fool for instant gratification and can't be bothered to cut out all colors at once.
4. Cut off one big long piece of fishing line (I use the arms out method, one and a half of my arm's spread) and tie a loop at one end. Start attaching circles about 10'' from the end, poking a hole very near the edge of the circle bringing it to where you want it and making 2 knots to keep it in place.
5. Move down 10" grab the next color of felt, and repeat, then back to the first color...etc...until you've got 8 pieces on the line.
And that's it! Not too hard, feel free to change the procedure to whatever, I made it up, so why shouldn't you? And really, they are fun! Enjoy.